Meditating with focus outside self, eg on nature?

[MiM]

I've understood that choosing breath as the focus of mindfulness meditation is only one option, but I have not really found any good guidance nor guided meditations for meditating with the focus on something outside yourself, maybe specifically nature. Googling on "mindfulness meditation in nature" brings up a hoard of resorts and sound files plus some pages that are just too far out for me.

I do believe in the healing power of the nature on the mind, and I have good opportunities to be in the nature, so I am interested in the possibility to bring this into my meditation. I am sure I could build a practice for myself, but I would much prefer to build on the experience of others.

Anyone here able to give advice or know of a good resource?

[Matt Y]

Any sensory experience can be a useful 'meditation object' Listening is particularly effective for many. Nature provides many pleasing options, from the sounds of birds and wind in the trees, to waves and creeks. Surprisingly, the sounds of passing traffic, computers humming and other 'non-natural' sounds can also be very good (and surprisingly relaxing) things to focus on.

Looking works well for some too. You can watch the clouds (or stars) in the sky, vegetation, animals, landscapes, or just the horizon.

You can appreciate the smells and tastes of your food, the textures of your clothing or the surfaces you come into contact with.

In other words, almost anything can be a useful and effective meditation object. All that's needed is to pay a little more attention than you would normally. Think of the reverence with which people attend to works of art in a museum or gallery, or the relish with which some people drink coffee or wine, or the way some absorb themselves in the sounds of their favourite band or music.

I'd suggest that the best 'resources' are your own instincts. What draws your attention naturally? What do you like to pay attention to? Let the answers to those questions guide you. You may find you're quite mindful of certain things in your life already - and need not make a formal practice of it. You could simply recognise and validate those moments of mindfulness already present.

[MiM]

[Wow, that was a fast answer, and very reassuring too. Thank you Matt. I was already writing a follow-up question, to my original post, so even though I got some good answers there, I will still post this.]

I believe my main concern is in the choice and keeping of focus, so I'll continue my question in that direction.

Imagine meditating, eyes open, in front of a wall with an intricate pattern of spots. If you focus on one single spot for the duration of your meditation, you will obviously keep a clear focus (but that can be very hard to do). If you choose a small region of the wall, and focus on the pattern within that region, you are still fairly focused. You might even choose to focus on one small region at a time, and change this region several times, and still keep a decent focus for a meditation. But, if you just let your eyes and mind wander aimlessly around the wall, then you are not mindful any more, nor meditating.

Am I making sense, this far?

If I take those thoughts, and move them out in nature, it becomes at at least one step harder. Nature does not stay still, birds sing and shriek, small animals make (startling) noises, the wind creates varying sensations on my skin, the sun might go in and out of cloud... Instinctively, I want to sit and take in all of this, as that is what nature is all about. But then I feel, that if I try to take it all in at once, I am not able to stay focused, my mind goes into reactive mode and what I am doing is not meditation any more. I guess the trick to stay in a meditative mode is then to choose some limited feature, like a single tree, or the waves on water, or... and focus on that.

So the question boils down to how to do that? Where and how do you choose or draw the limits on your focus, if and when you meditate on something outside yourselves? Do you have some inner "feeling" that tells you that what you are doing is meditation, as opposed to "just relaxing" and reacting to the outside word?

Does all this make any sense to you at all? Or am I completely astray?

[Mal_Smith]

I believe my main concern is in the choice and keeping of focus...

There are two main kinds of Buddhist meditation vipissana (insight) and samatha (concentration.) The latter usually involves keeping focus on a simple object, like the breath, or a "kasala", a simple visual object like a round disk of colour.

I haven't read anything about using, say, an entire forest scene as an object for kasala meditation.

The silence of nature should aid concentration.

Tibetan Buddhists use complex mandalas for meditation. I don't know enough about this, but that may be a concentration practice where they are trying to keep a complex image in mind, which (obviously) requires intense concentration.

Zen Buddhist painters concentrate for a long time on a nature scene before painting it, that (again) might be a valid concentration practice, but again I don't know enough about it, (My path is to "keep things simple" and I prefer just sticking to the breath...)

In pursuing insight meditation you can just stay open to all experience. If the bird sings, you accept it and let it go, and (hopefully) notice at least two of the "three marks". That is, impermanence of the beauty of the song, dukkha in the realisation that the song will end.

You should not "*try* to take it all in at once". That's striving, and that's a big no-no . Just sit, and be open to everything. That is, don't try to do anything at all. Just be mindful of what comes, then let it go. That's mindfulness meditation!

[JonW]

'You should not "*try* to take it all in at once". That's striving, and that's a big no-no . Just sit, and be open to everything. That is, don't try to do anything at all. Just be mindful of what comes, then let it go. That's mindfulness meditation!'

I'm with Mal on this.
I quite often meditate in the park when I'm walking my dog. I sit on a bench and pay attention, sometimes with eyes shut, sometimes with eyes open.
I think we can become too rigid about formal practice and limit ourselves to sitting on cushion/bench, closing eyes, observing breath. That practice can be very useful when we're starting out. But, as our practice deepens, we can broaden our awareness when meditating, perhaps resting as the open, unconditional awareness in which experiences come and go.
I'd highly recommend Jon Kabat-Zinn's 30-minute Nowscape meditation. Unfortunately, the YouTube link is not working at present. If I find another link I'll post it.
All best,
Jon

[Mal_Smith]

I quite often meditate in the park when I'm walking my dog. I sit on a bench and pay attention, sometimes with eyes shut, sometimes with eyes open.
I think we can become too rigid about formal practice and limit ourselves to sitting on cushion/bench, closing eyes, observing breath. That practice can be very useful when we're starting out. But, as our practice deepens, we can broaden our awareness when meditating, perhaps resting as the open, unconditional awareness in which experiences come and go.

Mindfulness of breathing is not *just* a "starting out" practice. It's certainly a good one to start with, but remember that the Buddha's awakening took place based on mindfulness of breathing. It's not just for beginners!

I also try and practice "open mindfulness" in informal situations. Although I feel it is beneficial, I find it too open to distraction to be the main or only practice. So mindfulness of breathing, eyes closed, in a quiet room is and will remain my main practice - replacing my daily half hour of this by sitting in the park is not an option for me.

[JonW]

I agree that mindfulness of breath is not just for beginners.
My formal home sitting meditation tends to move through three stages:
mindfulness of breath, mindfulness of body, choiceness awareness/open mindfulness. Ten minutes for each stage, roughly speaking.
Jon

[MiM]

Thank yo Mal and Jon. Your answers have been very helpful (even though I never meant striving, even though I used the word *try*

Most of all, you showed to me that I didn't make much sense at all, which was a good thing. Now I can continue to look for more information and guidance.

I had no problems with the Kabat-Zinn youtubes, so here is the link to the "nowscape" meditation, that worked for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4pBnSRPsk4 Curious as I am, I jumped right into it, and found it probably a bit advanced for me right now. It put my mind in a state I would have great difficulties to describe. I think I will try the other Zinn-meditations I found next, to see if that can give me some insight to his ways of teaching, and then maybe return to it. However, it also nicely answered my dilemma. I should be able to do what I wanted to (and call it meditation), I am just not quite ready for it yet.

If anyone could still make it clear for me what the difference really is between meditating and just being (lazy , I would be quite happy. With meditating on breath, or even something like a bodyscan, that is quite clear, but with this "choiceless awareness" I have to say the difference becomes a bit blurred to me - If you go to the seaside and stand there, looking at the view, deep in thought and admiration of what you see. What makes that a meditation and what makes it something else?

Edited for clarity.

[piedwagtail91]

I'm with jon on this. My practice is similar to his.
We're at the beach now so I got the chance to practice in a different setting for a change. My practice was open/ choiceless there. Breath, body, sounds ,smells and watching/ looking. They're all resting awareness in the moment and all anchor awareness there when the mind wanders.
I find using this form of practice gives a good awareness which carries over into many everyday situations.
Choiceless/ open awareness practice is introduced into MBCT in around session 7. But don't quote me on that I'm on holiday and my work memory is at home

[JonW]

"If anyone could still make it clear for me what the difference really is between meditating and just being (lazy , I would be quite happy. With meditating on breath, or even something like a bodyscan, that is quite clear, but with this "choiceless awareness" I have to say the difference becomes a bit blurred to me - If you go to the seaside and stand there, looking at the view, deep in thought and admiration of what you see. What makes that a meditation and what makes it something else?"

Excellent question.
I can only answer from my own experience which is that the line between formal meditation and simply being is increasingly blurred. I'm meditating when I take to my bench just after lunch every day. But I'm also meditating when I'm walking in the park with Banjo, watering the flowers in the back garden or wandering around an art gallery.
Most of the day becomes a meditation. When it's not, and I catch my mind ruminating/speculating, that's mindfulness, just in the noticing.
This came home to me last week, spent on a silent retreat. Most of the day was spent in formal meditation (sitting, mindful movement, body scans, walking in nature…) but no less meditative were meal times etc. Everything became meditation. From the moment I awoke to the moment I fell asleep.
As Mick says, choiceless/ open awareness practice is introduced into MBCT around session 7. But it's not compulsory. By all means go on with the basic breath meditation for as long as feels necessary.
Are you staying at Butlins, Mick? If so, give my best to Chas & Dave.
Cheers,
Jon